Echoing and amplifying the protest enacted by three members of the cast of Sydney Theatre Company’s The Seagull on its opening night, over 3,200 Australian actors, musicians and artists have pledged to wear visible symbols of support for the people of Palestine during performances across the country on Wednesday 13 December.

Thousands of Australian creatives have also signed an open letter from “the artists, producers, front-of-house staff, audiences & beyond who keep this industry alive” pressing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and all Australian arts institutions to publicly call for a cessation of Israel’s military action in Gaza, launched in response to the massacre and kidnapping of an estimated 1,200 Israeli citizens on 7 October. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 17,700 people have died in Gaza since Israel began its campaign.

The cast of Sydney Theatre Company’s The Seagull. Photo supplied

“Our resistance will not be overwritten, censored or ignored,” says the letter, which is circulating via X (formerly Twitter). “Acting publicly in support of Palestinian liberation is necessary. From the successful artist boycott of Sydney Festival in 2022, to the Blak cast of The Visitors through Moogahlin...